Coin-controlled vending-machine.



Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

W. E. SWIFT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- Z. 1914.

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WTLLARD ERSWIFT, WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS,'ASSIG1\TOR TO UNITED STATEs ENVELOPE COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

I COIN-CONTROLLED VENDING-MACHINE.

Original application filed December 2, 1912, Serial No. 734,440. Divided and this application fi1ed March 2,

, ber 2, 1912.

My invention relates to coin'controlled vending machines and more particularly to the coin controlled apparatus which operates the article delivering mechanism.-

One object of the invention is to provide an improved form of coin controlled operating mechanism that will cause a certain predetermined operation of the delivering mechanism for each coin deposited.

-Another object of the invention is to pro-' vide a coin controlledoperating mechanism of the type indicated which shall be simple in construction soas not to get out of order easily, but which. shall at the same time be efficient and certain in its action.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation'of one form of the invention attached to a cabinet adapted for delivering such articles as collapsible drinking cups, envelops, and the like; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3-3'of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig.1; and Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view on the line 55 of Fig.1.

Like reference characters refer to similar parts in the different figures I The upper portion 1 of the cabinet 18 of a suitablesize and shape to accommodate a stack of collapsible drinking cups 2, or the like, the stack of cupsbeing supported by a slanting arm 3 attached rigidly at its forward end to a fixed portion of the cabinet. Below the stack of cups in the base of the cabinet is supported in suitable bearings a shaft 4, carrying a pair of cup feeding membars 5 secured to the shaft by set screws 6; I

1914. Serial No. 821,858.

Each cup feeding member is preferably circular and carries at its periphery, preferably at two diametrically opposite points thereof, two friction pads 7 of soft rubber, or'other suitable material, for engaging and moving the cups in succession from the stack toward the opening 8. e

The individual cups 2 are supported in a rearwardly and downwardly slanting position by the similarly slanting arm or sup port3, as shown in Fig. 3, so that a rota- 1 tion of the shaft 4 and the feeding members 5 will cause-the pads 7 to come into contact with the lower cup 2 of the stack and move it-rearwardly and downwardlv by friction through the space between the feeding members 5 and a guideway 9 until the cup being fed has passed along the guideway 9 so far as to be beyond the reach of the pads 7. In order that the rear wall 'of the cabinet may more easily divert the lower cup. into the space back of the feeding members 5,

the arm '3 is convex upwardly or, in other words, its free end is curved downwardly and spaced from the rear wall of the cabinet. This allows the rear portion of the lower cup to be curved downwardly by the pressure of the cups above it so as to meet the rear wall of the cabinet at a more acute angle. The guideway 9 is given a considerable slant downwardlv and forwardly so that, after a cup has left the feeding mem-' bers, it will slide along the guideway and through the opening 8 until it strikes a flange or stop 10 at the bottom of the guideway, the cup then being in such position that it may be easily picked up.

The friction of-the support or arm 3 upon the under face of the lower cup 2 tends to I retard the feeding of the cup. and in order Patented Dec. 1c, 1918.

of course, to be fed also by the friction between the two, but this friction is substantially equaled by the friction between the former cup and the one lying against its upper face, and all movement of the second cup with'the lower one is prevented by the lower rear edge of the second cup striking against the back wall of the cabinet, as shown at 11 in Fig. 3. The feeding members 5 and the arm 3 are in such relative positions that rotation of the feeding members by the .shaft 4 will carry the friction pads 7 slightly desired result, a circular disk 13 is attached rigidly to the shaft 4 sons to rotate therewith. 'This circular disk 13 is inclosed by a shell 14 inclosinga circular space 15 with in which the disk 13 rotates. The shell 14 is located ec'centri'cally with respect to the disk 13 and is secured firmly in fixed. position against the framework of the cabinet. A small ball 16 lies within the space 15 between the periphery of the disk 13 and the inner wall of the shell 14. It is obvious that the ball 16 will not prevent rotation of the disk 13 and the shaft 4 in the direction proper for feeding the cups, but, if it is attempted to turn the shaft in the opposite direction.'the ball 16 will wedge between the disk 13 and the shell 14 so as to prevent such rotation of the shaft. A stop 17 is provided to retain the ball 16 in the proper position to perform its function.

A spring 18, having one end attach-ed rigidly to the frame of the cabinet, has a fiat free end which presses firmly against a cam 19 carried rigidly upon the shaft 4. This cam 19 has two flat faces 20 which are substantially parallel with each other and also with the diameters of the feeding members 5 which pass through the friction pads 7. The

pressure of the free end of thespring 18 against the flat faces 20 of the cam 19 tends "to hold the shaft 4 normally in such position that the friction pad 'i' is just about to engage the lower cup 2. When the shaft 4 is rotated to feed a cup, the free end of the spring 18 will yield to allow the cam 19,

shaft'4 and feeding members 5 torotate, but

after. these rotating parts have turned through. a half revolution, the freeend of the spring 18 will engage the other flat face 20 of the cam 19 and tend to stop further rotation. It'is obvious from Fig. 3 that such a half revolution of the feeding members 5 is suflicient to feed the lowermostocup from the stack through the opening 8. An-

members 5 to jump forward slightly until' the face 20 rests flatly against the free end of the spring. This causes a slight throw or impetus to be given to the cup being fed justas it leaves the feeding members, so-

that the cup is not dependent solely upon gravity to insure its passage along the guideway 9 from the feeding members 5 to the stop 10.

The cabinetis designed primarily for use I in various public places where there isa demand for drinking cups, or the like, and

where it is desired that a predetermined number of cups, usually one, be delivered by the cabinet in return for a coin deposited therein."

Asa means for rotating the shaft 4, a hollow cylinder 21 having one end closed and provided with a knurled edge 22 is provided. This hollow cylinder inclo'ses a cy- Y lindrical enlargement 23 on the shaft 4' and is adapted to rotate within a casing 24 attached to the frame of the cabinet by a flange 25. The cylinder 21 is secured in place between the enlargement 23 and the casing 24 by. a nut 2P screwed onto the threaded end of the shaft 4, which extends through an opening in the closed end of the cylinder. The end of the shaft 4 fits loosely in this opening so as to permit the cylinder to rotate independently of the shaft.

The hollow cylinder 21 is provided with one or more slots '26, of suitable size to receive a coin 27 of some particular denomination, such as one cent. These slots 26 are arranged in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the shaft and in the same plane with these slots are one or more shallow slots or depressions 28 in the enlargement 23. The casing 24 is provided with a coin slot 29 in the plane of the slots 26 and 28. By drop. ping a suitable coin into the coin slot 29 and turning the cylinder 21 until one of its slots 26 isin register with the coin slot 29, the coin will drop through the slot 26 until it strikes the bottom of one of the slots 28 in the enlargement 23, the slots 28 being so located in the enlargement 23 thatthe spring 18 and cam 19 will hold one of the slots 28 directly under the coin slot 29 at all times except when the shaft is being rotated to .feed a cup. The difierence between the It will be seen from Fig. '4that, when the cylinder 21 isrotatedby turning the knurled edge 22, the coin extending through the slots 26 and 28 will act as a lock to prevent relative rotation of the cylinder 21 and enlargement 23 and that, therefore, the enlargement 23 together with the shaft 4: and other parts carried thereby will be rotated to feed a cu A other slot 30 is provided in the bottom of the casing 2i and in the plane of the slots 26 and 28 so that, after the cylinder 21 and enlargement 23 have been rotated through a half revolution to feed a out). the coin will drop out of the; slots 26 and 28 through the slot 30 into a coin receptacle 31. A shoulder or stop 32 is provided on the inner wall of the casing 245 and, if the coin does not drop out of the cylinder'21 and enlargement 23, it will strike against this stop and prevent further revolution of the parts and a consequent feeding bf a" second cup. Inasmuch, however, as a""line conneoting the trailing end of the slot r2 6' c' ontaining the coin'with the advancing end of the corresponding slot 28 cuts 011" less -than'half the coin, the pressures exerted uponlthe coin by these portions of the two} slots will tend to force the coin outwardly-against the inner face ofthe casing 24, or through the slot 30 when this latter slot is reaehd by the coin. A second shoulder or stop. 3f-is rovided on the inner face of the casing-2ft ust back of the coin slot 29, and a backward rotation of the enlargement 23 cylinder 21 is prevented when a coin is in place in the slots therein by the coin striking against this shoulder or stop 33. The/shoulder 33 cooperates efiectively with the shell 14 and the parts inclosed thereby in preventing backward rotation of the feeding members 5. Then no coinis in any 'o'f -the sl0ts,of course the cylinder 21 may rotate in either directionv without any effect on any of the other parts of the mechanism.

In order that'the support or arm 3, the various members carried by the shaft 4, and the lowermost cups within the receptacle may be reached for purposes of adjustment, etc, the space containing these parts is inclosed by a pivoted cover 34 secured in closed position by a lock 35. A hinged cover 36 for the upper-portion of the cabinet containing the stack of cups is provided and is secured in closed position by a lock 37 While I have described in detail one form of my invention for the purpose of illustrating the principle thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details described as certain changes may be made without departcopies of this patent may be obtained for ing from thespi-rit of the invention; but having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A coin controlled operating mechanism for vending machines,comprising a rotatable member, and a second member surrounding said rotatable member andmovable independently thereof, the twomembers providing surfaces cooperating in engaging the periphery of a coin, whereby to constrain the rotation of said members in unison, a casing surrounding said members and adapted to retain a coin in operative relation thereto, and means carried by said casing for engaging the periphery of said coin to prevent the rotation, in unison, of said members in one direction.

2. A coin controlled operating mechanism for vending machines, comprising a rotatable member,- an independently rotatable hollow cylinder inclosing said rotatable mem her, the cylinder having a transverse slot through its'ziwallto receive a coin, and the rotatable member being recessed transversely to engage a portion of a coin extending thr0ugh};said slot, whereby the coin constrains thefdtation of said cylinder in unison with said member, and a casing inclosing the cylinderlto retain the coin in looking position, saidcasing having a shoulder in the path ofJ-the periphery of the coin, to

prevent rotation, in unison, of said'member and cylinder in one direction.

3. A coinjlcontrolled operating mechanism for vending machines, comprising telescoping independently rotatable members having corresponding transverse slots therein for the reception of a coin, whereby said members are; locked, by engagement with the periphery of said coin, for rotation in unison, and a'casing surrounding said members and providing a delivery slot and a discharge slot for the coins, with a shoulder adjacent said delivery slot, to engage the periphery of the coin and prevent rotation of said members in unison in one direction,

and a second;- shoulder adjacent said dis-- charge slot, in the path of the periphery of a coin in locking position, whereby said coin is prevented from being carried past said discharge slot during the rotation in unison of said members.

Dated this'twenty-seventh day of February, 1914.

WILLARD E. SWIFT.

Witnesses:

RALPH E. ATHERTON, PENELOPE CoMBERBAoH.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0. 

